Bottle opener and method



June 17, 1969 L, K U ET AL 3,449,987

BOTTLE OPENER AND METHOD Filed Aug. 7. 1967 United States Patent3,449,987 BOTTLE OPENER AND METHOD Leonard S. Kavalus, Livingston, andHenrylr Lenarcik,

Linden, N.J., assignors to American Flange & Manufacturing Co. Inc., NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 7, 1967, Ser. No.658,873 Int. Cl. A47j 45/00 US. Cl. 813.3 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A rigidly mounted tool for opening bottles, particularlylightweight metal tear off closures, comprising a metal body memberhaving a closure receiving opening. The opening is for-med with a sharpcap gripping portion bordering one edge and a cap breaking finger on anopposing edge. The cap breaking finger extends in the direction of theone edge and out of the plane of the aperture. Positioned below thefinger on the metal body member is a cap engaging panel disposed so thatthe finger extends into the mouth of a bottle operatively positionedagainst the cap gripping portion and the cap engaging panel.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing closures fromcontainers and is particularly concerned with the removal of lightweightmetal tear off closures from container necks.

The increasing popularity of at least one type of hand removableconvenience closure such as the manufactured by applicants assigneeunder the registered trademark Rip Cap has, strange as it may seem,created a demand for a new and improved bottle opener. This type ofclosure with which this invention is primarily concerned is formed oflightweight metal and has a smooth skirt pressed tightly in against theneck of the bottle to which the cap is applied. A pair of score linesextending across the cap top and skirt define a tear strip thereincommencing with an outwardly protruding gripping ear at the skirt edge.The need to which this invention responds stems from the fact thatparticularly in the restaurant trade the great volume of bottles openedrequires the use of some mechanical aid whereby bottles can be opened inrapid succession with the use of a single hand. Numerous existingopeners have been experimented with due to the desirability of having abottle opener capable of removing both tear otf closures and standardcrown caps. However, none of these known devices designed solely forremoving a rigid crown type cap proved successful in removing thelightweight tear off closure. Each of these prior art openers employedthe principle of prying an edge portion of the cap away from theunderlying bottle lip by gripping the fluted skirt edge and using thecenter portion of the cap as a fulcrum point. Great diificulty andfrequent bottle breakage was encountered in attempts to apply thisprinciple to the altogether different smooth skirted lightweightclosure.

In accordance with this invention a completely new method has beendiscovered to effectively remove lightweight metal tear 03 caps frombottles with a minimum of efiort such method being performed by animproved bottle opening device herein disclosed equally suited for theremoval of both tear off closures and conventional crowns. This uniquemethod differs from the existing practice in that instead of using thecenter portion of the cap top as a fulcrum and prying the cap skirt awayfrom the bottle lip, the invention employs a point on the cap skirt toinitially act as a fulcrum for the purpose of releasing the cap skirtfrom the underlying bottle neck. The fulcrum then shifts diametricallyacross the cap where- 3,449,987 Patented June 17, 1969 upon continuedmovement of the bottle completely removes the cap.

A still further object is to provide an improved bottle opener capableof removing different types of caps.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus for removinglightweight metal tear off caps through the use of a single hand.

Further and more detailed objects will in 'part be obvious and in partpointed out as the description of the invention taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bottle opener of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a capped bottle, the opening of whichthe apparatus of the invention is particularly applicable;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the .an initial step;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the bottle opener showing anintermediate step of opening;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing a final step;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of bottle showing the efiect of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken on lines 7--7 of FIG. 3 and looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on lines 8-8 of FIG. 3 and looking inthe direction of the arrows.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a wall mounted bottle opening fixture 1 formedin a metal stamping operation and comprising an upper supporting wall 2,a sharply radiused front section 3, a lower bottle opening wall 4 and anupper mounting foot 5 and lower mounting foot 6 each provided with ahole 7 for reception of a screw 8. As shown in FIG. 3 the fixture 1 isrigidly mounted on a vertical supporting surface 9, however, othermounting arrangements could be employed without departing from theinvention. The lower cap removing wall 4 is provided with an aperture 10having a sharp upper edge 11 formed by a coining operation. The aperture10 is further bordered by side edges 12 and has a rigid finger 13 whichextends outwardly at 14 away from the lower edge 15 of the aperture 10and then curves upwardly in a rounded section 16 terminating in anupwardly and inwardly extending end portion 17. A flat panel portion 18is also formed in the lower wall 4 and extends between the lower edge 15of the aperture 10 and the lower mounting foot 6.

FIG. 2 shows a capped bottle of the type to which the method andapparatus of the invention are particularly directed but by no meanslimited. The bottle 20 has a neck 21 formed with an enlarged lip 22 atthe upper open end thereof as seen in FIG. 5. The bottle cap 23 is alightweight metal closure secured over the bottle lip 22 by forming thelower portion of the skirt 24 in tightly against the underlying neck 21.The cap 23 is provided with a pair of score lines 25 formed in eitherthe inner or outer surfaces of the cap top 26 and skirt 24, as desired,so as to define a tear strip 27 thereacross commencing with a grippingear 28 extending away from the skirt edge. Ordinarily the bottle isopened by simply grasping the ear 28 and tearing along the weakenedscore lines 25 while holding the bottle with the other hand.

The invention as herein disclosed enables the quick and easy removal ofthe above described closure with the use of a single hand. This can beunderstood with particular reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 and to thespacial relationship between the sharp edge 11, the protruding finger 13and the flat panel 18-. In FIG. 3 it can be seen bottle opener showing apartially opened the intermediate step of that the bottle 20 is firstpositioned with a portion of the cap 23 projecting into the aperture inthe lower wall 4. A downward and inward rocking movement applied to thebottle causes the sharp edge 11 to grip the lower portion of the smoothskirt cap 24 below the bottle lip 22 at a point designated F1. The pointP1 initially acts as a fulcrum about which the bottle is rotated causingthe cap top 26 to bear against the rounded section 16 of the rigidfinger 13. The relationship between the point F1 and the finger 13 issuch that the finger engages the approximate center of the tear strip 27regardless of the rotational orientation of the cap as illustrated bythe phantom showing of the ear 28 in FIG. 3. Continued downward movementpivots the bottle about the point F1 and breaks the cap along the scorelines 25 by forcing the tear strip and the finger 13 into the bottleopening. The consequent splitting apart of the cap along one or both ofthe score lines causes the cap skirt 24 to release its tight grip on thebottle neck 21 as shown by the condition illustrated in FIG. 6.

As soon as the cap is broken as above described the lowermost edgeportion of the cap top strikes the fiat panel 18 at the point P2. Hereit should be noted that the relationship between the point F1 on thesharp edge 11, the rounded cap contacting surface 16 of the finger 13and the point F2 on the panel 18 is such that a straight line connectingpoint P1 and F2 is intersected by the finger 13. This relationshipprovides for sufficient extension of the finger 13 into the bottleopening to normally break both of the score lines 25. The final downwardmovement of the bottle causes the fulcrum point to shift diametricallyacross the cap from F1 as shown in FIG. 3 to the point P2 in FIG. 5. Thebottle is then pivoted about the point P2 while the edge 11 stillmaintains its grip on the cap skirt with the result that the grippedportion of the skirt is pulled away from the underlying lip 22 and thebroken cap is then quite simply and easily lifted 011 of the bottle.

It should be appreciated that although the invention has been describedin detail for purposes of clarity the apparatus is used in practice witha mere flick of the wrist. Moreover, the bottle opening fixture hereindescribed is equally elfective for removing ordinary fluted skirt crowncaps in the conventional manner.

Changes in and modifications of apparatus of the invention as mightsuggest themselves to those skilled in the art could be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is accordinglyintended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown inthe accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as being illustrative andnot in a limiting sense.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A tool for removing lightweight metal caps from container neckscomprising a rigid member formed with a cap receiving aperture having anupper edge therein, a sharpened cap gripping portion bordering the upperedge of said aperture, a cap breaking finger extending upwardly from thelower edge of said aperture and outwardly from the plane of saidaperture, and a cap engaging panel positioned on said member below saidfinger, whereby said finger extends into the mouth of a bottleoperatively positioned against said cap gripping portion and said capreceiving panel.

2. A tool as in claim 1 wherein said finger intersects a line passingthrough said cap gripping portion and said cap engaging panel.

3. A tool as in claim 1 said rigid member forming an integral portion ofa wall mounted fixture.

4. A tool as in claim 3 wherein said aperture is formed in one leg of asubstantially V-shaped sheet metal member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,333,088 11/1943 Brown 813.32,548,697 4/1951 Belpedio et al 81-3.46 X 2,667,093 1/1954- Leonard81-3.46 X 3,126,771 3/1964 Feiler 813.46

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, 1a., Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 8l3.46

